How long do puppies normally nurse if they are not taken from their mothers?

[Annikate]

We are adopting a mama dog. A Corgi mix. After we decided we wanted her, surprise! she had one puppy. Yes, only one.

Abby and her pup are at a foster's home now and will remain there. I think the foster mom is going to keep the puppy.

I know that normally people 'wean' pups from their mamas at like 8 weeks to be sold or to go to other homes, but in this case, how long will the pup nurse?

The reason I ask is because they told me that 'once the puppy is done nursing, that's when they'll make the mama a vet appt., have her spayed, and she'll be ready.

I have no experience w/pups so I have no clue - do they self wean? When?

[Breathless Wonder]

Many people give puppies away at 6 weeks, but they really need to nurse for at least 8 week, preferably 10.

Is there anyway you could get approved as a foster family, and foster her until she has been vetted, and they will adopt her to you? It doesn't hurt to ask.

[Ola_]

I would keep her with the pup until 10-12 weeks since that's what's best for the pup. Even if s/he is no longer nursing mama is still teaching a lot of social skills, bite inhibition, etc. So although I'm sure you're eager to have her as soon as you can, I'd let her stay longer as a favour to the pup.

[SophieAnn]

In my experience (visiting puppies up to 8 weeks of age when we brought one home)....

When puppies are small, mom will regularly lick the puppies to trigger a pee - they can't regulate it themselves. She keeps the den clean, and keeps puppies clean too.

Solid food (kibble with a bit of water added to soften) is introduced to the puppies around 5-6 weeks.

As mom cleans her puppies, she begins to taste a change in their pee - and she can tell that they are now eating something other than her milk.

Mom starts to wean the puppies around this time. This really depends on the individual mom though. I have seen a mom of 7 week olds running away from her puppies "leave me alone!", trying desperately to wean. I have seen a mom of 8 week old puppies happily lay still for her pups to nurse to their hearts' content. I do think it's partly a mom-personality thing.

Around the time when pups are successfully eating solid foods I think they do separate mom & pups for a few hours at a time to give mom a break, but pups do still get regular access to mom.

In the case of a singleton pup, it is likely that pup with be with mom as much as possible in order to benefit from the socialization/bite inhibition/manners training that pup is missing out on by not having littermates. I would be waay less concerned about how long this pup will get to nurse and way more concerned about this pup getting lots of interaction with other dogs to learn the things they're missing out on by not having littermates.

[Annikate]

Thanks all.

We will be getting the mama on Saturday which will be about 9.5 weeks of nursing.

Pup has been eating solid food since 5 or 6 weeks I think so it should be fine.

Now I wonder . . . will mama cry at night for her baby?